Jade
by CalliopeMused
Summary: Deathstroke is in Jump City, something is wrong with Raven's powers, and that isn't even the weird part. [Follows events of Red]
1. CHAPTER THIRTEEN

_If you haven't heard of Red, this might be a good time to read it. The events of this story take place ten days after the last chapter of Red, and move fast. Enjoy the guest perspective, because he's not coming back. _

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**  
2204 GMT.

He lived on Greenwich Mean Time. It took more than two days to accustom himself to a new time zone, so he didn't. He kept his own hours until it was time for his job. He looked over the room a final time. The window was open and the screen was leaning against the wall. The bed had been pushed to the east wall and the middle-class suit he had worn while requesting a cheap room was hanging neatly in the closet. Rooms on the west side of the hotel had a view of the ocean. He wasn't staying in the pretentious low-class hotel for the beach.

2205 GMT. The scheduled speaker had yet to make an appearance onstage. A flash of metal at the back of the crowd-one of the Titans. A quick check with the scope showed a green pigeon overhead, flying near the back of the crowd. He already had seen two of the others, the alien and human, looking through the audience gathered to hear their new mayor speak about her plans for the term.

The fifth Titan wasn't important. His room had no balcony, but the window was the perfect height and looked over the stage. The podium was just off center from his window, and a steady easterly breeze barely tugged at the corners of a flag some patriotic-minded technician had placed near the center of the stage.

Everything he needed was packed. His cover name would be blown the instant he pulled the trigger but anonymity wasn't a necessity. He had four other drivers' licenses, each complete with social security numbers and memorized lists of facts. His supplier was nothing if not thorough, if only in false identification. His supplier's 'unbeatable' computer system had been tapped, and a transmission had been intercepted near Gotham.

2207 GMT. He was ready when the target finally arrived on the stage, but waited. The waving and sporadic handshakes made for an uncertain path, and he would have a clear shot in just another moment. Amateurs shot too early just as often as too late, and he was not an amateur.

He moved slowly. No one would see the sun glinting from black gunmetal, but the metahuman team that had beaten Rouge might have luck enough to see him in the dark room. The rifle's bipod rested gently on the window's sill, and the formed pad fit precisely against his cheek as he peered through the scope.

He didn't hear the target's opening remarks. Instead, he guided his aim from the target's tailored suit jacket. The seams showed just where he would find the heart... there. The speech was about to begin. His target stilled, as politicians that would go anywhere in a career would before such a speech. This one wouldn't go any farther.

2208 GMT. Checks for wind, angle, and distance passed through his mind, and he pulled the trigger. There was no sound. He didn't look back as he left for the room across the hall, with a balcony and a waiting escape route.

Deathstroke never missed.

* * *

Robin was behind the stage. By the time he made out the red rapidly staining Darcy Whittaker's jacket as she pitched forward, she was out of sight. A black shield surrounded her, even before the paparazzi still fiddling with cameras could flash.

"Cyborg, stay with Raven and let us know if you see anyone. Starfire, check around the back of the hotel. Changeling, find that room. I'll check the ground."

"Got it, Robin," Cyborg said.

Starfire was already behind the motel, and a falcon tore through the air. Robin glanced at the police officers near the scene in case of a riot. He should have been ready for something like this. The Brotherhood of Evil wanted the politician dead after an interview in the paper had harmed their business prospects.

"Check the lobby," Robin ordered two police officers, "and don't let anyone leave that hotel." He hadn't been sure that cops would take commands from him but they were already on the move.

"Raven, answer whenever you can," Cyborg said. "An ambulance is on the way. This was on a live news feed, so the dispatcher knew to have one on the way."

"Robin! Someone on a motorcycle is on the move, and is moving fast. I am following."

He saw her, a streak flying low in the sky. "Changeling."

"She flies faster than I do, Robin. I'm staying with the room. The cops are good, but I can give them some extra information. Most bloodhounds don't answer questions."

"Right. Good thinking, Changeling."

"He is going into a tunnel," Starfire warned seconds later. "I do believe that this is the man. I am close enough to see that he has a gun."

"Can you see any details? Better yet, point the communicator at him and set it to video."

"I am upon it," she said, voice muffled. A figure dressed in dark clothing had a pack fitting against his back. The gun slung over one shoulder was a PSG1; he was ninety percent certain, even in the brief glimpse before the assassin was illuminated from behind only with green.

"Did you see any other characteristics?"

"I saw his face only for a moment. It appeared that he had-"

Robin didn't understood the Tamaranean phrase that followed, and wasn't sure how it would be phonetically spelled. He was sure that it wasn't pleasant. He had noticed the same thing as Starfire. The assassin had used a maintenance door in the tunnel, and had soundly locked it from behind.

"Cyborg?"

"That leads straight outside," Cyborg said after just a moment. "It's on city blueprints."

"I am going to finish traveling the tunnel," Starfire said. "It is shorter. I already can see light this way."

"Not your fault, Starfire," Robin said, guessing why she sounded tense. "He planned this. He had it planned from the hotel room he shot it from. How did he get out of the building?"

"I believe that he grabbed onto a device affixed to a cable that was fixed to the balcony."

Robin heard confirmation of that as the police called reports on their radios. "Yes, he did. Any sign of him?"

"None," Starfire said.

"Come on back, Starfire. We'll get him another time," Robin said. "Did you get any physical description?"

"He had a dark patch of cloth over one eye."

It was too early to make any assumptions. "I'll talk to Oracle later, but I have my guesses," he said. "Cyborg, anything suspicious from the crowd?"

"Nothing suspicious. They're just nervous."

"I caught a glimpse of him around back, as a falcon." Changeling had made an awkward landing, but there wasn't an easy way to make the transition from bird to human. "He's middle-aged male, and there's something wrong with him. I've never smelled anything like that before. Some chemical, maybe."

"We will find Darcy's killer," Starfire said, landing carefully. She had to be conscious of her strength. Flying was different, on this planet.

"We will find him," Robin said.

Raven stepped through a gap in the black shield. "Find the attempted killer," she corrected.

"You healed her?" Robin didn't mean to sound so surprised, but the blood had looked centered at the heart.

"She won't even have a scar," Raven confirmed. "The shot hit her heart, yes, but I've been holding energy back for the last week. There are few injuries that are instantly fatal. Ms. Whittaker is unconscious right now, but that's probably better. It's instinctive to resist healing that has to be that invasive."

"The ambulance is here," Cyborg said. "It's heading for the stage. Is that what you want?"

"I'm staying with her," Raven said. "I'll explain to the paramedics what happened and make sure that they don't have the wrong intentions."

"You're sure, Raven? You have mentioned healing takes a lot out of you."

"I'll be fine, Robin." She released the shield, but kept a barrier between Darcy and the audience. There still was a lot of blood and there still were children in the audience. She had been sitting in front of one. He had kicked her seat, and hadn't looked at all intimidated when a black-haired woman in mirrored sunglasses and khakis had asked him to stop.

She stood when the paramedics approached with a gurney, and slipped her sunglasses into her pocket. She glanced at the staring audience, wondering what she had expected. It was obvious by now that the press pass hanging around her neck was just for decoration, and only one Titan dealt with telekinesis and black constructs of energy. Hair dye didn't change that. She had hidden in the crowd on the off chance that something would go wrong, and had been in just the right spot.

She blocked most empathy and attempted to ignore the residual emotions. She left her hair in an uncharacteristic braid. It was easier, if there still was blood. The paramedics were ready. She nodded to her team, stepped into the enclosed space, and began to explain matters to very surprised paramedics.

* * *

"Ms. Raven."

She looked up at the accented words. White lab coat, stethoscope, name badge. "Dr. Oska. Did the paramedics give you the overview?"

"She was shot in the heart but is better now." Both eyebrows were raised, but his tone remained civil.

"Precisely," Raven said. "I was supposed to be incognito today during Ms. Whittaker's speech, but the assassination attempt was my cue. You have heard of the Titans?"

"You have sent civilians to my emergency room."

"And you have treated civilians with odd lacks of injuries," she said, refusing to react. "The latest was a young boy, I believe, big brown eyes. A car used as a projectile by an enterprising villain landed on his leg, two witnesses heard a loud crack, and there was plenty of blood. He had a bruise on his left arm."

"You had something to do with that?" His voice was no less gruff, but at least he might regain circulation in the fingers gripping his clipboard.

"Yes," she said. "I can heal. It's easiest for me to heal recent wounds, and I can't do anything with diseases. Healing more than a sprain right now would overreach my power reserves, I believe."

"The news shows only black and telekinesis."

"The news doesn't show everything, then," Raven said. "Ms. Whittaker is fine. Robin has already spoken with the head of the hospital. A Titan will be present with her at all times in addition to the police guards outside the doors."

"How much good are you as security, when you could not heal?"

"Enough," Raven said. "Healing takes much more energy than throwing various things around, or creating shields. Will that be all, Dr. Oska?"

"I will check for signs of malady when Ms. Whittaker is awake," he said.

Raven shrugged, and opened the book she hadn't been able to read earlier. She skimmed the text. She had read the book often enough that she didn't need to look at every line. She turned pages. The doctor prowled around the hospital bed and made notes on various readouts from equipment.

Raven noticed signs of consciousness first but she pretended to read her book. Dr. Oska seemed to think it was important to win some unspoken competition.

"The hospital?"

Dr. Oska glanced at Raven before he answered. "You were shot, Ms. Whittaker."

"I feel fine. How much morphine am I-isn't there supposed to be a morphine drip? Or some kind of IV?"

"Only if you need one," Raven said. It would be faster if she explained things. She tugged the tie from her hair. It was the same length, if the wrong color. "I was in the front row, as we discussed before the speech. An assassin known as Deathstroke shot you. The Brotherhood of Evil probably didn't like the interviews you gave to the newspaper." Raven kept her voice even. She didn't sound particularly warm, but people did listen to her without needing too much convincing.

"I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"That's not why I did it," Raven said. She heard her teammates, and used a piece of ribbon to mark her place in the book. "Good night, Ms. Whittaker, Dr. Oska." She could still fight if it was necessary, but sleep sounded like a much better option.

"Good evening, Darcy, and to the doctor. I will see you tomorrow, Raven," Starfire said.

"Tomorrow, Starfire," Raven agreed, looking to the other Titan. "Are you staying with Star?"

Changeling grinned at her. "After a save like that? You deserve an escort home, don't you think?"

"I don't need you to do that, Changeling."

"I'm flying back with you, Cyborg's giving you a ride, or you're finding a taxi. You healed a sniper rifle bullet to the heart. You get teammates fussing over you," he said, more seriously. "Good night, everybody."

"Do you really think you can keep up?" she asked, just before they reached the doorway. Darcy was in a secure room. Using those windows wouldn't be a good idea. Raven could move through walls, but the guards watching the room wouldn't be pleased.

"Do you really think racing's the way to go, Raven? Enjoy the night. It's beautiful out, the skies are clear…"

"Don't get used to it, but you just might be right," she said. Clear nights were rare in California.

"Of course I am," he said-just before he dove from the roof, and a falcon flew north, moving fast.

Raven half-smiled as she followed him. She should have guessed.


	2. CHAPTER FOURTEEN

_I know that it's been over a month. What can I say? I'm insane enough to be a pre-med major, and classes come before fanfiction. (I know, I know, but I'm paying for classes and don't get a dime for my hobby.) Enjoy the chapter- the next gap shouldn't be so long. (The Titans? Still not mine.)  
_

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
**Meditation was a lost cause. Raven settled for the second-best alternative.

She should not have been able to heal Darcy. She could barely manage to heal broken bones without being exhausted for a day, but she had healed Darcy while maintaining a solid shield. She might have high reserves, but that took too much energy. Energy had to come from somewhere.

Raven was not doing very well. She had made no progress, and had been rude to Logan when he checked on her. She dropped another book, frustrated. Magic was not as lackadaisical as people thought. Maybe she wouldn't have snapped at him, any other day, but Logan's timing had been wrong. She knew that there was no way he could have known, and she would apologize when he returned to the Tower. Logan had been confused, not angry, and an apology would straighten out that matter.

Her current problem was worse. She had already asked Victor as many questions as she dared. Her heart trusted them. Her mind was too clinical in its diagnosis. If she was intimidated by her burst in power… It was better to figure it out on her own.

She couldn't just create more power with less energy. It didn't work that way. Energy came from somewhere, and there had to be some compensation.

She had better control, and it was easier than she had imagined. She felt the power solidly through her, tingling in her fingertips, and knew that she could perform difficult spells without strain. Something had changed, and Raven could only imagine one possibility.

* * *

"Well, this is cozy," Logan said, glancing at the small suite of rooms. One bedroom with two narrow beds, one bathroom with a shower the size of most sinks, and the kitchen-living room area. It could be worse. They were working to keep Darcy Whittaker safe. A safehouse was the natural place to accomplish that goal.

"It's a safe house," Robin said. "That's the important part." Logan might be cavalier with his secret identity, but Robin had people to protect. He couldn't risk someone being found out.

"They could have been a bit more daring with the color scheme, though," Logan said critically. "I mean, beige furniture, beige carpet, and-what a shocker-beige walls. The bathroom is a variation on the shade, but they could have at least made a reach with taupe sheets or something."

Darcy smiled. "This place was designed by the government, Logan. You can't expect variations in decor."

"Point," Logan conceded. The couch was comfortable, if boring. "We're lucky that it's not camouflage." He stretched out, setting his feet on the coffee table. He wasn't in uniform. Robin had his mask and the usual gel-saturated hair, but finally had agreed that they might as well be comfortable. They were going to be in the room for a few days. Logan didn't want to spend the whole time in uniform. The Justice League was working quickly to find Deathstroke, but they needed time.

Robin glanced at the television facing the couch. They didn't get the basic channels, but they did have DVDs. "Anyone up for a movie?"

"We'll have plenty of time for that," Logan said. "Let's not get sick of them too soon." Darcy still was tense, not that he blamed her. If Deathstroke was after him... yeah, he'd be tense. Titan or not, assassins were never fun to deal with.

"If I'm going to be bumping elbows every time I turn around, I might as well know people. I went into vigilantism because it's a fun career. Not much cash flow, but you get fans, exercise, and pretty girls that want your autograph."

Robin flicked a glance to the side. "You would."

Logan shrugged a shoulder. "Okay, so I got adopted by a control freak who let me join the Doom Patrol. Share with the class, Rob?"

"Logan, save it."

"Rob's just grouchy because he's away from a certain alien princess," Logan confided to Darcy. "Starfire likes him, he likes Starfire... Don't give me that look, Robin, it's all true."

"And it doesn't need to be all over the tabloids," Robin said curtly.

"Who am I going to tell?" Darcy asked. "Besides, private life is private and tabloid reporters give me the creeps."

"You're in a bad field for that," Logan said. He hadn't meant to hit a nerve, but Tim had been uptight in the two days since Deathstroke hit.

"I stay boring," Darcy said. "They could make up wild stories, but they'd have to recant them later."

"They make up all kinds of stuff about me, but what can they really do? I'm green, I have pointy ears, and I change into animals. Heck, I can even manage fictional animals. Don't ask me how that works, because I'm not sure."

Robin gave up. He couldn't stay angry with Logan the entire time they were in the safehouse, and Logan meant well. "He's not offended when there's a joke about that, either."

"No, I'm not irritated about a _good _joke," Logan corrected. "If it's bad, why bother? Making people laugh is one of the hardest things there is. If you screw up comedy there's nothing to fall back on. Jokes that aren't funny… cars with square wheels. Why?"

"Not all of your jokes fly," Robin reminded him.

"I know that," Logan said. "Can't make everyone laugh all of the time, and Raven's been wound tight as it is. Starfire hasn't had time to work her magic on you yet, but she's in the Tower."

"Logan-"

"Okay, okay. You and Starfire are not an item, despite mutual attraction and one hell of a lot of pheromones," Logan said placatingly.

"She's cooled off." Robin stared at the blank television screen. Darcy was polite enough to pick up a magazine. Leaving for the other room wouldn't have removed her from the conversation.

"Not for long. If the two of you don't see the attraction, don't make me and Cyborg decide you need some help." Tim would cool down. Or Tim would snap and throttle him, Logan supposed. At least doing something physical would help Robin calm down.

"Logan. Shut up."

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Logan remarked, untroubled. "His bed's against the wall," he continued, glancing at Darcy. "I'm calling the homestead. Vic and I didn't have much time to talk before it was time to leave this morning. We think something's up with Raven."

"Logan." Robin jerked his head at Darcy.

"What's she going to do? Tell the press she has a heroine problem? Heroine with an E, Robin." Logan shrugged when Robin glared again. "Raven's been having a rough time, and I think Starfire has the best chance at getting the reason without making Raven mad."

"Why?"

"Starfire's a girl, as I'm sure you've noticed." Logan could avoid all mentions of that- but he didn't have much on Tim. "Girls talk."

"Those two words are your plan, aren't they."

Logan watched, fascinating. Tim couldn't decide whether to glare or to give up. "Keep it simple, and it'll work."

"Our teammates are an alien and a half-demon."

"And…" Nothing from the Boy Wonder. Logan shook his head sadly. "Batman did not train you in the ways of girls. That guy has to be single, right? There are only hundreds of thousands of single men in Gotham, Rob. It's not a giveaway for his identity."

"He's single, but-"

"Precisely," Logan said. "See, the problem with complicated grand plans is that you assume too many things. If you assume that you're going in at eight, from the water, with camouflage, then what are you going to do if it snows? If you plan as you go along, you have more room to improvise."

"Your plan is 'girls talk,'" Robin pointed out. "That's not a plan, it's an opinion."

"Wrong," Logan said. "My plan is suggesting to Starfire that she and Raven could talk." He ignored the doubtful look. "Look, it's easier when you skip plans A through C. Plan A flops, plan B is to come up with a plan C and what do you do when C isn't going to work?"

Robin sighed, and was surprised when it was more theatric than annoyed. Logan was just being himself- getting on Robin's nerves was part of the package deal. "Okay, so you have a plan D."

"E, actually, but close," Logan said, rifling through his sweatshirt's pocket for his communicator. The shirt fit closely, which was a must- loose clothes were just asking for trouble.

"It's a wonder we all stay sane," Robin said, a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "Can you imagine living with this guy all the time? You'll probably be ready to see him go tomorrow," he said to Darcy. "He is like this all the time."

Logan flashed his signing-an-autograph smile- camera-friendly and showing the fangs. "You know you'd get bored without me, Rob." He pressed the side of the communicator. It wasn't an emergency, he just wanted to talk to Victor.

"Logan, you live!"

Darcy tensed for a second, but Logan just grinned as he flipped open the screen. "Rob hasn't killed me yet. What's going on there? We have the bureaucratic decorating scheme."

"That is a lot of beige," Victor said, looking over the background. "Starfire's training, I'm finishing a late lunch, and there hasn't been sign of Raven for a couple hours. Rae's working on something, but opened the door when I asked about lunch. Books were all over the place."

"What did she say about lunch?"

"She promised to come out for dinner," Victor said dryly.

"Has Starfire talked to Raven yet?"

"I'm ahead of you on that one, Logan. I'm going to borrow the gym while the girls are having dinner. I'll run one of the noisier programs. They'll know when I'm done," Victor said.

"Aw, come on, Vic. How am I supposed to impress the civilians when you already figured out my grand plan?"

Victor chuckled. "Logan, we've been over this. Civilians don't know what they're getting into."

"See what I have to put up with?" he asked Darcy. "Kermit had it right. It just ain't easy being green."

"I see how it is. Robin wasn't giving you enough material, so you call me up."

Rolling his eyes would be too juvenile, so Robin settled for ignoring them both.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll let you get back to figuring out my perfectly brilliant plans beforehand."

Robin half-listened to the words as Logan and Victor competed for the last word. Victor won, leaving Logan to swear that he would be victorious the next time. It was plain silliness. They both were adults, but they joked around like they weren't the only people between Deathstroke and a target, like they didn't have a serious job to do. Logan went straight from bantering with Victor to flirting with Darcy.

"So, Darcy. How'd a nice girl like you end up in a political mess like this? You could have gone a step up the social revulsion ladder and been a lawyer."

It took Logan only ten minutes to get a brief history of Darcy Whittaker's life. Robin watched from the corner of his eye after finding his book as Darcy relaxed by degrees, trading anecdotes about politicians for stories about superheroes-the cape-and-tights crowd, to hear Logan say it. He kept all identities secret, and stuck to stories he had witnessed personally.

"There's one other Logan that I know about. For Garfield, it's the president or the orange cat." He didn't mention that James Garfield had been assassinated. "You've probably heard of him from the stories. He's one of very few people that can run around in blue and yellow spandex without ridicule, and that's because he has less people skills than your average rock."

"Wolverine," Robin supplied when Darcy looked puzzled. Robin wasn't pretending to read his book any longer.

"The guy with the claws, right?" Darcy asked.

"Right," Logan said. "Six claws, lots of hair, healing factor, and a temper. Canadian, too."

"What does Canadian have to do with anything?" Robin asked.

"It's a fact." Logan shrugged. "Now, I- did you hear that?"

Robin didn't hear anything, but Logan put a finger to his lips.

A green wolf stood on the couch, intent on something outside. He could hear _something. _No one else should be in the building. Fear spiked. He changed back abruptly and put a hand on Darcy's shoulder. She glanced at him, eyes wide, and something that she saw calmed some of her worry.

"Robin, we might have company." They exchanged a glance. Robin vaulted over the couch, book long forgotten, with his bo staff at the ready. Logan's primary objective was to protect Darcy. Robin would help make Logan's task easier.

"Robin, I'm heading for that place that a friend of yours recommended, with Darcy. Catch up when you can." Oracle had offered the location as backup. They had discussed this beforehand, but Darcy was listening.

"Got it. You hear something?"

"Someone," Logan said. "The instant that the door goes, do it." The safe house had been discovered. The door was the only part that wasn't specially reinforced. They had warned Darcy not to pack anything that she didn't want to leave behind, but hadn't guessed that they would be compromised so fast. The city had promised only two people knew- the chief of police and the FBI agent involved because Deathstroke was involved. Two had been too many.

"Darcy, simple plan," Logan said, voice low. "I'm going to pick you up and run like hell." Robin could take care of himself. Logan's job was to get her out of there.

She nodded, once.

"Hey, I'm a professional," he said, voice low. Robin was ready at the door. They wouldn't reveal the secret until it was too late for their visitor to find the other exit. "I apologize in advance for any bruises, but the strongest animals don't have the finest motor control out there."

She smiled wanly. "I'll be around to gripe about how much I could sue you for."

"Not much," Logan said with a grin. "The superhero gig doesn't pay all that well, and you'd need one heck of a lawyer. You're cute, sure, but I'm saving your life. Juries wouldn't be able to help loving me."

"Ready?" This was no time to joke around. Robin didn't have to turn around to know that Darcy would be blushing. Logan had pulled that routine before.

"Ready," Logan said, switching to wolf again for a few moments. He heard the footsteps now. The door wasn't soundproofed, at his request. He couldn't hear past the room, otherwise. He inhaled. Gunpowder. He changed back to smile at Darcy one more time. She was tense, but there were traces of exhilaration.

Robin pressed the trigger just before the door was kicked open. The wall of the ground-floor safe room fell away into the basement, and Logan was moving before he registered the sudden rush of daylight. Gorillas didn't move very fast, but moving a manhole cover took muscle and just a little dexterity. Working fingers were needed for the part of the excursion Darcy hadn't been warned about.

The possibility of death was one thing, but a certain run through the sewers was completely different.

He was human for the brief moment of falling through the gap, and Darcy was too surprised to protest. Manholes weren't designed for gorillas. Logan made impact with a cat's carefulness. He put a finger over Darcy's lips as a reminder. He left her at the bottom of the tunnel for a moment before flying back up the replace the cover. It was trickier than he had guessed, but he avoided crushing his fingers as he stood on the ladder built into the wall.

"This is the less than romantic bit of today's excursion," he murmured. "The place we're staying is higher class, and we're not going to risk leaving a trace." Tim and Victor would trace down the leak. Logan would take care of the more physical details. "These are spill tunnels, and there hasn't been much rain for the last few weeks. The water's going to get up to six inches deep. All that's in here is decaying leaves. Your slacks probably won't like you after this, but the water's your friend. Nothing's tracking through these tunnels." He could carry her, he supposed, but the tunnels were narrow and it wouldn't save any time.

Darcy wasn't fond of the idea, but comforted herself with thoughts of the book she would write when they started to walk. She was having one hell of a week. Elected mayor, shot at her speech, completely healed, in hiding from an assassin, and now she was ankle-deep in brown water lit by the occasional floodlight.

It felt like hours, but Logan said it was still daylight when he stopped. She didn't see anything different about the ladder, but he made a brief call to Robin. The other Titan was already in the new safe house, and everything was in place.

"Ladies first," Logan said, gesturing to the ladder. "Robin had time to grab your suitcase. Deathstroke left the fight as soon as he could. Robin said it was about an even match."

"Thanks," she said, wondering if there was a stronger word. They were saving her life.

"Anytime. Right on up the... never mind, I guess ladies won't go first today," he said, moving up the ladder faster than she was going to. He moved the manhole cover aside in just two pushes, and replaced it when her footing was sure on the pavement.

"No one's here?" she asked, looking around the suburb. She never would guess that the rusty manhole cover led somewhere.

"Robin just checked. There aren't many families home during the day, and we should have another minute." He didn't rush her, and didn't seem at all concerned. He practically strolled over to a ranch with a picture window opening onto the porch. "We're working on a permanent solution," he said. "Until then, we'll keep you safe."

"Why are you doing all this?" Darcy asked when they were inside. The question had been nagging at her all day.

"Because I can," Logan said, for once serious. "I can do this, someone needs to do this. My parents were researchers. They did things that helped people, and they loved doing it. This is what I can do."

"Careful, Logan," Robin said. "Your thoughtful side is showing."

"I joke around, and I should be serious. I'm serious, and I'm supposed to be joking around. There's just no making this guy happy," Logan grumbled. "I think fearless leader would have an aneurysm if we got takeout, but that would defeat the purpose of a safe house."

"I would not-"

"Okay, just a hernia," Logan said agreeably. "I'm going to get rid of the sewer-muck clothes, and then I'll deal with dinner. You get to take care of the detective stuff."

Logan waited while Darcy left the room, feigning difficulty with one of his fitted boots. They were a hassle, but he was used to them. "We had almost no outside contact, and he found us too fast," Logan said.

"I know. I think we're dealing with a leak."

"You and Victor can talk about the technical stuff," Logan said. "Me? I'm dealing with dinner. Never thought I'd see the day that I'd be happy you're paranoid, Rob, but I know that I have clean clothes and vegetarian-friendly food for dinner. Stir fry's okay, right?"

"Right." Robin watched Logan leave the room, and wondered if he would ever understand his teammate.


	3. CHAPTER FIFTEEN

_This chapter took a long time, not just because of classes. I'm very picky. If the characters don't feel right, I try again. This chapter went through fifteen unused drafts- review to let me know what you think of number sixteen.  
_

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
**Robin looked pointedly over his shoulder before opening his communicator. "Hey, Starfire," Robin said. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine that Logan and Darcy weren't hanging on his every word.

In theory.

He shot them a glare before stalking off to the single bedroom. The walls wouldn't be much help, but he had made the effort.

"Cyborg has spoken to you about Deathstroke, correct? We saw him in the city, but he disappeared very rapidly. Raven could not find him."

"Right," Robin said. "Cyborg said that he couldn't have gotten what footage he did without you and Raven. How has working with just two people been?"

"Cyborg has done an excellent job in leading, but it is different without five people," Starfire said. "I find myself wishing that the attack would come, so there would be no more need for anticipation. It is harder to wait for an enemy than to actively fight."

"He's a hard opponent, but we could take him down," Robin said with more confidence than he felt. Deathstroke was fast, strong, and almost invincible. He could heal from almost anything, according to what Oracle had found. Robin couldn't beat Deathstroke, but maybe the Titans could.

"Have you read the latest stories yet, about why Changeling and I are missing?" he asked. "Logan needs something new to complain about besides the weather. I've heard about the warm snap we're missing for the last three days."

Starfire laughed. "You have been abducted by aliens, become part of a very secret government experiment, and taken a trip to fight for the privilege of asking Raven's father for her hand in marriage."

"How's Raven taking that last one?"

"Cyborg and I did not point it out, but she did smile in an odd way when she saw it. Raven said that the journalists should do their research, and that she would like to see anyone ask her father such a question," Starfire said. Raven had been tense, lately. Any smile, however lopsided, was better than a frown.

"Raven has been spending much time in her room," Starfire confided. "Yesterday, it seemed that she was discussing something with herself. I lack her senses for empathy, but believe she was not pleased."

"I wish Deathstroke had picked another week," Robin said. "This has been rough. Have you tried talking to Raven?"

"I have attempted to do so, but she has proved most resistant." Starfire crossed her arms loosely, an Earth gesture she had picked up. "I will be happier when the team is together again, though I understand how vital this mission is."

"Logan and I are just as ready to go back," Robin said. "He's driving me up the wall, occasionally on purpose. He's bored. Darcy doesn't seem to understand that Logan flirts with any and all females, and she also doesn't know he's an eavesdropping fiend."

"You try having good hearing," Logan called.

Robin smiled. "What can I say? I've spent too much time with the guy. Next thing you know, I'll start eating vegetarian more often-save it, Logan, I'm talking to Starfire."

Starfire laughed. "I should spend a week with you. Perhaps I could convince you to try Tamaranean cuisine."

"That's a contradiction in terms, isn't it?"

"Just for that, you will have to enjoy glorg upon your return," she threatened with a smile.

"Could I talk you into something else?"

"Such as what?"

"Dinner," Robin said. "I'll bribe Raven into helping you find a nice dress, I'll take you to a fancy restaurant, and you can order whatever sounds interesting." He could afford it. He had barely touched a debit card sent from Gotham. He and Bruce weren't talking, exactly, but Tim had been coerced into regular correspondence with his father, Alfred, and Richard. Barbara was a force of nature, when she got an idea in her head.

"It's about time!"

Logan never would learn when to shut his mouth but somehow the exclamation wasn't as annoying as it should have been.

Starfire stared at him through the communicator. "What would the Earth term be, for such a dinner?"

"A date."

"A date is an outing involving two people who have interest in becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, correct?" Starfire's expression was for once impossible to read.

"Ye-es."

"I would be delighted."

He was braced for rejection. It took his mind a minute to catch up with the simple sentence.

"Really?"

"You can be most dense, Robin," she said fondly. "Really. I will ask Raven about dresses, and-" Starfire glanced away from the screen as red lights flashed.

"Trouble?"

"Trouble. Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth are in a physical confrontation," Starfire said. She could have named the streets, but Robin and Changeling would not be accompanying them. Starfire blew a kiss at the screen, as she had seen a couple do. Victor had been the one to explain. "I will speak with you later, Robin."

He could say 'take care,' but Starfire was a warrior princess and would be his girlfriend, if he could manage to _not _screw things up for once.

He was pretty sure he managed to nod before she was gone. Logan was in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "So. It went well?"

Robin realized that he was grinning like a lunatic. "How did you ever guess?"

* * *

Jinx never could hold onto luck.

Two Titans had been out of town for six days. That left three, who had been kept busy at three previous stunts. Two bank robberies had been perfect. They should write about them in textbooks as examples of just why you plan. The jewel heist had gone without a single hitch. In, get the jewels they came for, back at the lair before the very busy Titans were in the area.

The trouble came with selling the gems.

Jinx and their fence had disagreed about the quality of a few stones. She had proven that the gems were diamond. The buyer insisted that they were zircs. She had responded that they were not cubic zirconias, and that they would be taking all their business elsewhere. He had tried to get in her way, and then managed to call in his guards before Jinx could knock him over the head and retrieve their loot.

"What the hairball-crud. Titans!" Gizmo called.

Jinx had been working with Gizmo too long. 'What the hairball,' and it didn't sound (very) odd to her. "All three of them?" she asked.

"Even teams, for once," Gizmo said.

"Who are we taking?" Mammoth asked.

"Giz, focus on the witch," Jinx said. "Mammoth, the alien."

"You're fighting the robot?" Gizmo frowned. They had their pet names for the Titans. It made it easier, less personal.

"Unless you'd like to," Jinx said with a careless shrug. Metal man might be nice without clear reason, but he was a superhero. Superheroes might as well just paint targets on their chest- that went double for anyone who cared about one. "Stick with the game plan from earlier, boys. We can do this."

Sure, the city loved the Titans. Fans clamored for autographs, handshakes, pictures. Everybody loved a hero, but they were just waiting for one to fall. If he got hurt, the flowers and teddy bears and candies would fill ten hospital rooms. If nobody could put Humpty Dumpty back together again, that attention would trickle into nothing. If (when!) he died fighting some crime- he'd be a dead hero. The only thing better than a dead hero gracing the cover of a news rag was a fallen hero.

Thoughts flashed through her mind as she tucked her loot back into a pocket, along with a few sparklies that she hadn't brought in. If the fence hadn't tried to rip her off, he wouldn't have property damage, stolen property, and Titans ready to take him into jail.

Probability wasn't her strong point. She had lost at the probable and won the highly improbable. Three on three was better than five on three. "Let's go," she said, smile dancing on her lips. She loved the fight. It was almost enough to make her think about doing that kind of thing for a living, but she loved fighting even more when she had a pocket full of stolen goods.

It was a good fight. Cyborg was playing leader for the Jr. Titans, and paused for a vital seconds when she cartwheeled into the fight. It was an unorthodox entry. It was a kid's trick that made her a narrow target and gave her time to slam a foot into his lower torso when he misjudged her speed.

Jinx didn't need to look at her team to know she had made the right choices. The alien might be a warrior, but she held back. She didn't want to cause any serious damage, but those love taps she was giving Mammoth would barely leave a bruise. Jinx could hear the thumps when Gizmo wasn't firing.

He hadn't scored a hit yet. Raven was fast, airborne, and able to teleport in a pinch. Jinx needed all her attention for her opponent. Cyborg was very strong, and quicker than he should be. He was slower than his teammates, but she couldn't leave him room to fire. If she was hit with a blast, she was down.

Cyborg tried to say something, but she didn't want to hear it. It was a fight. It wasn't personal. He wanted to put her in jail, she didn't want to go. She didn't dare aim bad luck so close, until she could aim at his feet. She had seen what pink bursts of bad luck could do to electronics. She didn't need to be a refugee because she broke the robot hero.

Jinx was making little headway, but Mammoth had finally knocked Starfire out of the air with a pair of thrown tables. Jinx had shot a beam of pink his way to make Starfire falter at just the wrong moment. She could never predict just what results her hexes would have, but they never were good for the target.

Starfire was too strong for Mammoth to do much more than hold her off. Cyborg wasn't trying to hurt her, she wanted to figure out a way to knock out motor functions for a few seconds. Raven could block Gizmo's attacks. Jinx felt a small pressure at the corner of her lip. If the odds weren't good, you were playing the wrong game.

"Now!"

Jinx fired pink at Starfire before she could finish the word. Mammoth had already thrown a table at Raven. Gizmo's newest weapon fired straight at Cyborg.

It should have been three hits, if not KOs. Only Cyborg went down. Gizmo had keyed into the robot's motor functions, and knew how to disable them for ten minute stretches. Cyborg was out, Starfire wasn't expecting that attack-

Jinx couldn't move. She could see that her teammates were encased in black from the neck down, and could only catch minimal glimpses of the same black surrounding her. The shield was unyielding, and she couldn't move to take anything but the shallowest of breaths.

This wasn't right. Raven had never been so aggressive, and never had held a plain shield with such force. Jinx didn't have enough air to spit out a sarcastic comment, or even to yell.

"Raven."

Had it just been a few seconds? Jinx couldn't tell. She hated being scared, but she couldn't move and her feet were six inches above the ground and the crazy half demon might be just as dangerous as those news reports had said. The alien's voice was too soft. Scream at her, dammit!

"Raven," Cyborg said, a little louder. He still couldn't move his arms, Jinx noted, but his legs must have been working on different signals. He clumsily got to his feet.

Raven's eyes had been harder than the diamonds in Jinx's pocket. Those dark eyes widened, showing white around the purple, and the dark energy finally disappeared. Jinx fell to the ground gasping. She glanced from Gizmo to Mammoth, then worked at catching her breath. They would be okay, if the crazy demon would stay the hell away.

Raven backed away, almost tripping over the broken pieces of a chair. "I'll- I'll see you back at the Tower," she said to her teammates, before stepping into a rising sheet of black energy.

Cyborg and Starfire made no move to stop Jinx as she left. Gizmo had fared worse than she had. She put his arm around her waist and helped him to his feet. The shield the demon had made had cut into his left leg hard enough to leave an ugly bruise in addition to a few other developing marks. Mammoth followed close behind them. He covered their backs while they slowly made their way into the back alleys.

Jinx looked back once, schooling her face into a hard glare. Cyborg met her gaze. She turned and walked away. Whatever was going on, she began to understand why two Titans had skipped town.

Jinx's hand slipped to her pocket. Cool gems met her fingertip's touch, but they weren't as exciting as they had been ten minutes ago.

* * *

"Raven? I wish to speak with you."

Starfire counted, slowly. Arms crossed, she tapped her fingers in the staccato beat of a Tamaranean call to battle. "Raven," she said, changing her tone. She might be nice, as people who spoke English would call her, but she was not _rutha. _Warriors could not afford weakness. "I will speak with you."

"I need to meditate."

"You have been meditating. There has been no positive effect. You will open the door and speak to me, or I will destroy it." Starfire's patience had been exhausted. Kindness had not worked. Being nice was not always the answer.

"Starfire, I am not trying to avoid you. I need to meditate. If I can't control my emotions, I can't control my powers."

"Your powers have been very controlled, Raven," Starfire said firmly. "What you did with those shields took incredible control, did it not?"

"The control doesn't last," Raven said. Her eyes were still closed as ribbons of power skimmed along her walls before finding the control panel. A few maneuverings opened the door. "I don't know how to explain this, Starfire."

"Try." Starfire stayed near the doorway, and gave only a quick glance to Raven's room. Raven had accompanied her to the mall of shopping, but Starfire never had been inside the room.

"You might as well come in," Raven said. A few flickers of energy turned on recessed electric lights.

"I have never seen your room before, Raven. Where did you obtain so many interesting things?"

"Most of the books were in a storage locker while I was moving around," she said. "Several books, some furniture, and the mirror on my dresser are from Azarath."

"Where you were raised?" Starfire glanced at a strange mirror.

"Don't touch that!" Raven warned, just as four eyes glared from the surface.

"What is it?" Starfire asked as she stepped back from the mirror. "There were odd red shapes that resembled eyes."

"It's a portal," Raven said. "A portal for a portal."

Starfire took a seat in the air just a few feet from Raven. There were no chairs in the room. "I do not understand."

"There was a prophecy. It hasn't been right yet."

"You are being cryptic."

Raven's only response was a shrug. "The plain version isn't very flattering."

"Try it."

Raven doubted she could get back to meditating without the sordid details. "When I was born, a prophecy was made. Because I am my father's daughter, I will open a portal. The world will end. The prophecy was supposed to come to pass years ago, but did not." She summoned the mirror, a very practiced motion. "If you were to look in this mirror, you would see yourself, and then four glowing eyes."

Starfire wished that she wasn't the only person doing this. Someone else would know what to say to keep Raven from stopping. "What do you see?"

"My mind," Raven said. "I can travel inside of my mindscape, which isn't quite the same, or I can converse with parts of my mind through this mirror. I do not need this mirror for such things, but it is simpler." Visualizing emotions took much more energy, and Happy was a piece of work. "It's dangerous inside my mind. If you handled this mirror, you would be dragged inside. You might not get out again."

"Is this common on Azarath?"

"No," Raven said. "Azar made this for me. Tr-my father has had no other children. Others might have the same powers driven by emotion, or they might not."

"Your powers have been very strong for the past week," Starfire said. "Two weeks ago, it took three separate occasions of healing to help friend Robin recover from a broken arm. One week ago, the act of healing a heart must have taken strength."

"I have a few… reserves," Raven said. "I'm not sure that I can trust the extra power. Some sources are not the best."

Starfire bit her lip. She would rather have a fight than such a conversation. What was important? "Raven, please do not say such confusing things. Can you speak them plainly?"

It could have been shadows, or it could have been a sudden change in her expression. "Starfire, you might say that you wouldn't care about my background, but there are reasons that I keep my history to myself. Outside of this team, no one knows I was raised by the monks of Azarath." That was not a closely kept secret. Azar and her people had known the risk of taking in a half-demon.

"Raven, you have heard our histories. The problems that occurred were not fault of ours, and I am sure that yours are the same way."

"Don't ask me that, Starfire." Raven had thought she could tell them, but something had changed. Cyborg was carefully using the robotic parts of his mind to feel emotions, and something in Starfire's blaze of feeling wasn't right. They were hiding feelings from her. If she told them now…

"I am asking that, Raven. What are you hiding from us?"

"Plural?" Raven felt a flash of something. Starfire was projecting emotions over emotions. _Calm down. She didn't mean anything by that, she just was talking about the team. _"I will tell you, Starfire, but it's hard to say. I wanted to tell the whole team at once, to just get it over with." Was there a good way to finally name just who her father was? A half-demon was one thing, but the daughter of Trigon might be something entirely different.

"The entire team cannot be present in body, Raven. Perhaps we can involve the communicators?"

"Darcy," Raven said.

"I believe that Darcy will be kind enough to put on headphones and listen to music," Starfire said. Darcy had when they had talked about Raven. It felt wrong, to talk about a teammate in such a way, but they were running very low on options.

Raven nodded, once. They had to know. If the knowledge only confirmed their suspicions, she would have been honest. She had enough money saved for at least eight months rent and groceries, if it came to that.

"Let's go to the common room," she said. She liked Cyborg, but one guest in her room was one too many.

"Thank you, Raven."

Starfire didn't understand a flash of something that had not been a shadow. "Don't thank me yet."

Cyborg saw them enter. "Raven?"

She had her communicator in her hand. "I need to talk to the team."

"Would calling them up on the television be easier, Rae?" he asked.

"No, Cyborg, but thank you." A small screen would give enough detail. "My powers have grown in strength too fast. I should have explained before now, but I was preoccupied." She had healed a bullet to the heart, and the absorbed pain had barely affected her. Raven stared at her hand. It looked normal enough, if grey, but that might not last.

"Raven?"

She opened her communicator. Logan and Tim were waiting; Starfire had let them know. "I-"

Raven had never been so relieved to be interrupted. "Sorry, Raven," Tim said. "Oracle just picked up a report. Deathstroke is in the area." The lights in the safehouse switched off. "It's a precaution, but…"

"I will explain when Deathstroke is gone," Raven promised.

"Thanks, Raven," Robin said. "Changeling, cover Darcy. I'll watch the front."

"If anything happens, backup is on the way," Cyborg said. "We know the general area, and Raven can give us an airlift."

"If we need you, the alarms at the Tower will go off," Robin said. "Robin out."

Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg waited in tense silence for just two minutes before the alarms blared and the lights glared red.

Raven surrounded them with black energy, checked to make sure that her shields were complete, and closed her fist.


	4. CHAPTER SIXTEEN

_Look at this, just four days after the last chapter- when plot shows up, the story's easy to write. Read and review, please. Writing this is fun, but so is feedback. _

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**  
Jinx leaned back against a cushion and took the offered bowl of popcorn. "Thanks, Mammoth," she said.

He grunted. A month ago, she wouldn't have recognized the inflection of that sound. Mammoth wasn't one for words, but he could say more with a few syllables than a politician wouldn't.

Jinx took her time reading the headlines of a local news rag. The biggest news, of course, was the two Titans who had skipped town without a trace. Heroes always got the headlines. The good ones didn't want the attention, but editors liked to sell papers. A couple crime-fighters were gone, no one had seen the mayor-elect since an emergency surgery to remove the bullet, and Deathstroke was in town. There was an article.

Reading about assassins was easy when they weren't targeting her. For once, there was an advantage to being small-time. Anyone with a grudge against her couldn't afford Deathstroke.

It was moments like this that she realized just how far from normal she and her friends were. She was sitting with her legs off to the side, eating popcorn and reading a paper. Mammoth was eating popcorn. Gizmo was maneuvering a remote that made turning the television on difficult, and eating popcorn.

"Show time?" Jinx asked, glancing up from the paper. The headlines with any credibility were gone by page four. Once Elvis was mentioned, the important stuff was over.

"Almost." Mammoth made his way to the kitchen to start a second bag of popcorn. When waiting for some kind of showdown, it only seemed appropriate.

"Where's he going, do you think?" Jinx asked, tapping a finger against her bowl.

"He's heading straight for the house three down from this," Gizmo said. He had picked the neighborhood for an auxiliary base because the prices were good. Color contacts for Jinx, temporary hair dye, and (the worst part) a wig for him, and they became an elusive single mother and child.

Mammoth still smirked at them about it, but they had another place to stay when they wanted to stay out of sight.

"Does anyone even live there?" Jinx asked.

"I've never seen anyone," Gizmo said. "Weird, huh? Whatever's going on, Deathstroke's interested. Think he's still after the politician woman?"

"He shot her in the heart." Jinx had read that in a newspaper that actually believed Elvis was dead. "That didn't work, thanks to Ms. Mysterious. What the heck else can that girl do?" Jinx had a typical response to events and people that had startled her, and it was derision.

"Who knows?" Gizmo wished he had changed the camera earlier. Moving it now could draw attention. He might not always show the most planning, but he wasn't going to risk Deathstroke seeing something.

"He's right in the open. The Titans are going to come running or flying," Jinx said.

"Bets, just to make it interesting?" Gizmo asked.

"What's the wager?" Jinx asked.

"Double dishes for the two losers," Gizmo said.

"I'm in."

"Might as well." Mammoth thought for a moment. "The alien."

"After this morning? The demon," Jinx said.

Gizmo was smiling.

Jinx's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the look on his face. "Go ahead. Say it. You know you want to."

"Your boyfriend."

There was only one response possible for a mature female badass.

Jinx threw popcorn at him. Gizmo retaliated, showing his usual hand-to-eye coordination and hitting Mammoth, who had already eaten his popcorn. Mammoth threw the bowl, Gizmo threw a cushion, and only Jinx was watching the television when Deathstroke stood on the porch of the house.

"Lights, camera, action," Jinx said loudly enough to be heard over a small-scale popcorn war. "Losers of the bet get to deal with the popcorn in the carpet, too." Come on, demon-girl, do something really weird. Jinx would win the bet, Deathstroke would get out of her city, and Jinx could watch out the next time she saw the witch. "He's going."

They untangled two throw pillows, the remote, and the coffee table. Jinx wasn't sure how the furniture had been involved and wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"He's going, all right!" Gizmo checked that his security cameras were automatically recording. There wasn't much chance to see Titans in action without being involved, even if just three would show up.

The door out the house flew outward. Deathstroke jumped over it, and came down as Robin's foot connected with his chest.

All bets were off but no one was commenting.

Deathstroke took just one half step back to balance the blow and came back swinging his fist. Robin ducked, jabbing with his own fist. Deathstroke grabbed the Robin's wrist and moved to throw him, but Robin swept out with his foot. Deathstroke re-balanced, Robin leapt away and had a metal staff in his hand before Jinx could register his hand moving.

"Wow," she said. Far be it from her to say it to his face, but… maybe a few of the rumors about the Titans' leader had some reason behind them.

He was keeping Deathstroke away from that house. Robin was holding off Deathstroke, and the camera could only catch blurs of silver from the staffs. That explained why two Titans had been off the map. That house was being protected, for whatever reason.

Robin was good, Jinx reflected, but he needed-there it was. Backup, brought by the demon. Jinx suppressed a shudder at the black void in the sky.

Cyborg and the demon immediately started helping from a distance while the alien flew into the house. Jinx wouldn't want to be involved in the fight, but it made some kind of viewing.

It wasn't going to be enough, Jinx thought regretfully. She wasn't insane enough to get involved, of course. First rule of criminal enterprise; watch out for yourself. It probably was that politician woman the Brotherhood had it in for, anyway. Sure, the lady didn't deserve to get knocked off, but Jinx wasn't going to go in her place.

Robin had lost his staff, and his right upper arm wasn't at the right angle. Fractured humerus, she diagnosed. Medical jargon wasn't her thing, but you picked up things in hospitals. Cyborg was strong, but it took less than a minute for the staff to catch him hard on the head before the end slammed against his side. The alien was the next to fall. Deathstroke was inhumanly fast, and jumped higher and faster than anyone should. Stupid hero had played it too nice and held back. If she barely put a bruise on Mammoth, how was she going to deal with that assassin?

Changeling was alone in the open doorway when Deathstroke turned to look at the demon.

Jinx supposed she could think of all the Titans by name- but this time, names escaped her.

The last time she had checked, Raven had been grey. Jinx would have noticed a bunch of glowing red marks, writhing trails of black energy, and four red eyes. Especially the glowing red eyes part.

The three of them watched in stunned silence. Deathstroke had been terribly efficient. Jinx had been wrong. The girl that had caught her that morning wasn't a demon. The demon on the television screen almost (almost!) made Jinx think about going legit or at least changing states.

There wasn't a sound in the house, but they could hear a faint pounding noise from yards and yards away as the assassin hit the ground several times. Jinx did hope that the rumors of uncanny healing were true. If they weren't, he wouldn't survive an ambulance ride to a hospital.

The demon paused, and _grew. _She had been five foot five or so, right around Jinx's height. Jinx couldn't look down at a ranch's roof with both feet (or all her black… whatever that stuff was) on the ground.

They could hear that voice, loud and crackling with a hiss below it that carried much farther than the words.

_Definitely a healer, _Jinx knew. Deathstroke stood up and nodded before giving a mocking bow. Not just survived, stood up when his legs should have been powder, bowed when his back could have been twisted- and walked away, favoring his left side.

"What was that?" Jinx asked.

"That was you winning the bet," Gizmo said.

She shook her head. "That was just for fun. The two of you wouldn't get all the popcorn out of the carpet."

The demon business had worked. When Jinx looked at the television a minute later, no change.

"Um. Shouldn't she have turned back by now?" Jinx asked, pointing at the demon. She had reduced her height to about eight feet. Well, that was an improvement, but-

Jinx and Gizmo both cursed at the same time. Mammoth grunted, and both teammates knew exactly what he meant. They nodded in agreement.

The demon had scared off the assassin. Great. More power to her.

Now, though…

The demon was looking at her teammates like they were mostaccioli in a buffet, and she really liked mostaccioli.

* * *

"Logan-"

"Relax, Tim- I have a plan."

"That's supposed to be comforting? I've heard your strategies on planning. Improvisation-"

Logan flashed his best yes-I-am-that-Garfield-Logan smile. "Got it in one," he interrupted. He walked across the semi-destroyed front lawn, crossing empty space. Raven looked like she could kill them all with a snap of her fingers, but he'd never heard her snap before.

She was taller, somehow. The red markings glowed brightly, beginning to bleed their color into her skin, and four eyes surveyed him dispassionately.

"The city will fall," she said. He could hear the hissing undertone in her voice, another sign that Raven was out of her mind.

"Babe, don't tell me you're trying that again," Logan said, shaking his head. He ignored three stifled reactions behind him. The red had flickered for a fraction of a second. "We've been over this. The city isn't going to just up and fall over just because you say it will, this is California. They built this place better than that-earthquakes, remember?"

* * *

"What the hell is he doing?"

"Getting our girl back- I think."

* * *

"What did you call me?"

"I told you last time, babe, you're going to cause ten kinds of trouble with the local home insurance rates. You're not on typical policy, but the filers just aren't sure where to lump you when you go all red-eyed on me. I like the look, don't get me wrong, but I like the purple too, you know?

"Come on, Rae, I recognize that look- you're going to chew me out for mentioning it. But come on, it's not like purple is that bad. I mean, you give new meaning to four-eyes this way, and it's confusing for the jewelry store employees. They don't have a thing to match that hellfire red you pull off so well, but they love to go on about amethysts and violet sapphires or whatever until a customer buys."

Something like uncertainty flashed across her face. "You are a disturbed individual. When my father takes control of this world, your death will be fast."

Logan nodded thoughtfully. It seemed to be part of megalomaniac training: always explain your plan in detail at the first opportunity. "You're going to hand the world over to your father on a silver plate? What has he ever done for you?"

She wavered. Logan kept talking.

"If you're going to take over the world, why involve him at all? For that matter, what are you going to do with the world? Most reasons involve money or power. Philanthropy usually doesn't go with the hostile takeover," Logan said.

* * *

"He's insane."

"I think that's a foregone conclusion."

"I think that he's getting through."

* * *

Her eyes narrowed. Who was this strange human to stand in her way? _A friend._No. Her father wanted her to-

Why would she do as her father commanded? She was no flunky to be so easily persuaded. She had no motive for destroying the world. That would take too much time, and would not be worth the required effort.

"Who are you?" she demanded, stepping forward.

"You know the answer to that." Or maybe she didn't. He'd give his own answer. "I'm the guy you aren't going to hurt."

"You are so sure?"

Anyone sane would run like hell at the malice in her voice. Logan promised himself a visit to a shrink after this was done. "Yep."

She didn't understand. Red marks on her arm flickered, and the rush of power sputtered. The weaker part of her mind rushed forward.

_You will _not_ hurt him. You will not hurt them. _

**I am in control, **she said to the dissenting voice in her mind.

_Trigon gave you control, _came the answer. _Are you going to give him this world? _

**No. I am going to destroy this city. **

The voice retreated. She turned her attention back to the green man.

There were three other people behind him, ready to fight. If it was a fight they wanted…

"Raven. You don't have to do this," Logan said.

He was afraid, but he still was standing his ground.

"No cute names?"

If she wasn't twice his height and reaching out with thick tendrils of energy, he would have said she sneered. As events were he was too busy to narrate for her. "Wait a second," he said when a black tendril of energy slunk a little too close. "This is when you either spell out your entire evil plan for city and or world domination, give me a chance for last words, or bring me a pizza with whatever I want on it."

"No. This is the point when you learn to be silent." The weaker presence finally was gone. She drank in the power, towering until the other three took a step back.

"Sheesh. You're skipping years of B-movie cliché for one power trip. I guess you really haven't seen all the important movies," he said. "C'mon, babe. At least give me a last sonnet or something."

"A sonnet?"

"On second thought, strike that," Logan said. "Iambic pentameter has never been a strength of mine, and I don't have a rhyme for soda."

Logan held back a smile. The demon had no idea what to make of that.

"In the name of the eight hells, what does soda have to do with a sonnet?"

The question sounded bemused instead of outraged. _Time to bring her home. _

"Your eyes," he deadpanned. "They're luminous yet dark pools of grape soda."

Logan didn't know if his teammates laughed. He was watching Raven. She wasn't herself. The Raven he knew would said something disparaging after the first 'babe.' He wasn't as fond of the demon version, but she hadn't hurt him yet. "Don't look at me like that, Rae, I'm working on short notice here. Come back to me tomorrow and I'll have something better, like which Crayola shade suits you best."

A blank look. Blank was much better than murderous.

"Right, I know. You were raised by monks, you don't know that Crayola makes the good crayons. You'd probably be blue-violet, but violet just might work. The cloak's trickier, since it depends on light."

Logan's strategy was working much better than he had thought. If he made her mad, she'd probably have four different ways to kill him at her fingertips. Confusion, however, wasn't part of the package.

After this, he'd have to ask her about that. He just might come out of it alive.

"Raven, you're the one that can stop this," he said. "I know you can, babe-"

That was when all hell broke loose.

Maybe that last 'babe' had been one too many, but how many chances was he going to get?

Her power exploded. That was the only word for the solid rush of black. He tensed. It would make any injury worse, and he knew that, but instincts were instincts and he was going to-

Fall on his face. Robin was the one to get him back on his feet.

"What was your plan?" Tim asked, frowning behind Robin's mask.

"Confusing her," Logan said. "Nobody's hurt, so it worked." He dusted himself off. If he had intended to do a face plant, that would have been a spectacular example. Okay, now the important part.

"Raven?"

Logan thought she didn't hear him, at first, but she took a few unsteady steps forward- and her arms were around him, tight, like he would push her away. He didn't. He just hugged her back, a hand in her hair, until they went home to the Tower.


	5. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

_This chapter (and the story, really) is for Kayasuri-N, who told me what didn't make sense, what to post, and gave me a scene used in this chapter. The hint for just what scene is to her full blame and credit: Logan is speechless after it happens. This chapter took just one draft- sometimes, things just fall into place. Keep your dental professional handy for this chapter: this has been a warning from a pre-med writer. (As for Logan's last line for the story- did you expect anything less?) _

_Reviews? Thanks, authors love them.  
_

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN  
**"She's going to go get what?" Victor asked.

"A mirror," Logan said. "That, I don't get, but the rest makes sense."

"Perhaps you could explain it to me, then," Starfire said. "I understand that her father is a demon who wishes to destroy this world, and who wants to cause Raven to lose control of her anger so that he may control her body and open a portal through which to send his forces. I do not understand why she desires a reflective surface used in preening."

Logan understood what was going on, but hearing it in Starfire-speak confused him for a few seconds. "Check, check, and check," he said. "So, her anger ran a hostile takeover and decided to not take orders from daddy anymore. Raven told her father what anger was up to, the demon pulled back his strength, and then Raven knocked her anger out of control." The way Raven had said it, her anger talked. She hadn't been able to explain that very well, which is why she had gone to find her mirror. "As for the reflective surface? No clue."

"Whatever did happen, it's not going to make the news," Tim said. "I ran a little interference with the one reporter who smelled a story, and explained that I would have a suit for libel against the paper within two business days. None of us would give an interview, no eyewitness testimony. Jenny Watson has a torn-up yard in a privately owned house."

"Raven was amazing, even when she looked like she was going to beat the snot out of us," Victor said. "She said she'd never lost control like that before, right?"

"Right," Logan said.

"This is a good thing, then. Raven knows what it feels like, and what to avoid." Victor meant every word, and heard a heartbeat just past the common room's doors. "If things ever get bad, we know she could win." She was their security blanket, even if she did occasionally glow an ominous shade of red.

The doors opened. Raven had a mirror gripped solidly in two hands.

She set it on the table, very carefully. "I said that explaining how my emotions was difficult. That's not completely true. The words aren't that hard, but they do make me sound like a very good candidate for a psychiatric ward."

"I'm sure Logan would never think so," Victor teased. She knew he wasn't serious, and walking on eggshells would only give any tension room to set. "Grape soda, Logan. Where do you get this stuff?"

"Well, just look at her beautiful eyes," Logan said. "Eyes are supposed to be some big focus of sonnets as far as I know. I know Shakespeare wrote lots of them, fourteen lines, iambic pentameter... anyway, her eyes. Amethyst is completely wrong, but grape soda has the dark color."

Raven smiled, just a little. "You'll have to repeat just what you said, sometime. I don't remember it." Her world had been flashes. They had seen Rage in control, not the chaotic war of emotions. Even Lazy and Timid had fought at Raven's side to get control back. She had needed to cut the demonic influence from Rage before she could take control of her own mind back.

"To tell the truth, I'm not completely sure I remember," Logan said.

"I have it on tape," Cyborg said. "I see at twenty-five frames a second, high definition."

Something in the mirror giggled.

Four Titans stared at the mirror and took a small step backwards. That had sounded like Raven.

Raven only sighed. Of all the emotions to see first… she had hoped for Wisdom, or at least Curiosity, but diving in headfirst just might be easy. "This is a portal into my mind. My emotions are very strange, by your standards. They talk back, fight, and never can get along."

Raven still wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but Wisdom approved for once.

"If you'd like, you could meet them," she offered shyly. Timid, unused to the obvious attention, would have fled further into the corners, but she, Brave, and Wisdom were in charge of watching Rage's manners.

Curiosity, not hesitance. She knew that emotion. The day she had met these people was the best of her life.

Dark energy spread out from the mirror, slow but steady. The control was all hers, and the effort took all her concentration, but she did it. A moment later, they were in her mind.

It took Raven a minute to sort out the chaos. The emotions had agreed to all meet in Happy's sector. Happy had the most space, the fewest dangers, and the least foreboding decorating scheme.

Timid was hiding behind Brave, as usual. Brave was torn between the important duty of watching Rage and the fun idea of fighting Robin herself. He was a good teacher, and he had made Raven finally know what to do with her fists, but Raven couldn't beat him. Brave definitely could, but she had to watch Rage and Timid.

Wisdom wasn't much of a talker. Raven knew that she would keep Brave, Timid, and Rage in check. Timid wasn't much of a threat, physically speaking, but she was very easily upset. She would very quietly wonder for months why Raven hated her, if she wasn't there when the Titans came to visit, but she would cry if any one f her friends even looked at her the wrong way.

Raven had just stopped a fight between Curiosity and Lazy when she knew that something was wrong. She paused and took inventory.

Rage, Timid, Wisdom-check. Brave, from her battle stance near Rage, was asking Tim about several techniques Raven still thought were physically impossible.

Happy-barrel rolls with Starfire.

Curiosity was pumping Victor for information about just how a few biological systems would work in case Raven needed to heal him and with several unrelated questions that seemed to involve how electricity worked.

Lazy was displaying her rude side by making a few finger gestures Raven hadn't taught her. Raven didn't think she had ever seen that last one.

That left… oh dear.

Raven turned just in time to see Affection kiss a very surprised Logan on the cheek.

Of course everyone had seen. Raven blushed. Tim and Victor stared, probably unaware that their mouths were hanging open. Starfire and Happy were smiling. Brave pumped her fist; she and Affection made eye contact and grinned. Rage growled. Curiosity started pestering Wisdom, Wisdom smiled in the serene way most likely to make Curiosity smack her in frustration.

Lazy wolf-whistled.

Timid, despite her best efforts, fled.

Back to normal, then. Raven glared at Affection and Brave. "Both of you, go find Timid," she said sternly. "Remember what we discussed? That still is a possibility." They blanched.

Affection waved goodbye to Logan before grabbing Brave by the arm.

Logan still hadn't said anything. Raven still hadn't stopped blushing.

"So, who was in the purple?" Tim asked, very carefully not smiling.

"Affection," Raven said. She would see the humor in the situation when someone put out the fire in her face. "Brave is in the green. The two of them usually find some way to mortify Timid. Lazy in the orange also responds to Rude with the same lack of politeness, Rage is in the red, Curiosity in yellow, and Wisdom in brown."

"You were right, Rae," Victor said. "There is no way to explain all of this. If I wasn't looking at this, I'd think somebody put something in your tea." There were some advantages of a video memory. One was the look on Logan's face. Another was proof of continued silence: Logan still hadn't said anything. This had to be some kind of record.

"It was very nice to meet all of you," Wisdom said politely. "If you'll excuse us, Rage and I will head for one of the other areas now."

Raven nodded. Wisdom was one of few emotions that pretended to defer to her, even if she did so while making nicely worded statements about what would be best.

"When you said that anger took over, you meant that girl in red," Tim said.

"Yes," Raven said. "It just sounds extremely odd to speak about emotions as if they're separate from me. It's easier to just meet them than explain."

"Is all your mind like this?" Victor asked, gesturing at the overdose on pink. He was open-minded. He didn't think a giggling Raven in pink was too out there, but her entire mind in pastels? That would just be weird.

"No." Raven pointed at one of the stone arches. "That would take you into another area. Most of my mind is suitably dark, but all of the emotions have their own places. This is Happy's. Curiosity has an entire library, Lazy has a very impressive mess, and Wisdom's entire domain is covered in mirrors." That place unnerved Rage, which guaranteed Wisdom her privacy.

"This place is something else, Raven," Victor said, "but I can tell you right now what the weirdest part is."

"What's that?" They understood, now. Happy, midair, twirled at Raven's emotions. She liked being expressed, even if it was just a little.

"Logan hasn't said a word for the last two minutes."

* * *

"This is weird. This is very, very weird."

"You called me," Victor reminded her as she took a seat. He hadn't thought she would come. "I've seen odder earlier today. You want to know just what was said, I want to know how you know what happened."

Jinx wished she wasn't so curious, sometimes. She would love to blame the hero, but she had called him. "Off the record?"

"Unless someone's in danger," Victor said after a minute.

"Close enough." Jinx wasn't the type to take hostages- too messy, not effective, and too much notoriety of the mob-and-pitchforks sort. "We have a base in the area, and caught it on a surveillance camera."

"You didn't catch the audio the first time around?"

She should narrow her eyes, toss her hair, and stalk from the restaurant. Instead, fingers twined in hair dyed dark especially for the occasion of an early dinner. Dark hair, brown contacts, and a pair of glasses just to complete the normal-girl look. He was just as much in the background with some kind of hologram.

"I read her lips. I couldn't see his from the placement of the camera," Jinx said.

"It might be better to play the audio." Victor couldn't repeat ten words with a straight face, let alone the good parts. "Playback memory came with the cannon."

No pity from her quarter. She had read about the town's star track runner years ago, and scorned editorials lamenting the loss. She had done a little research in the last few weeks about Victor Stone, the guy without a secret identity. Now, he looked a bit heavy for a sprint. Midrange had been his event. He was all-state academic and athletic teams.

She had been staring. She could blame him but then she wouldn't know how to get the demon Titan to back down out of a tantrum. Jinx had seen what happened to Deathstroke. She, Giz, and Mammoth had gotten off easy.

"Let's hear it, tough guy," she said, almost five seconds too late.

He didn't comment that she hadn't said a thing for 4.8972 seconds, not that he was counting. His brain ran cross-comparisons with real-time data, and he could analyze a page of data in the time it would take to open a spreadsheet on a computer.

He played Logan's rant, with Raven's commentary. Raven could be a threat, but she wouldn't be. She had talked to them again after they left her mind, and had said only one name when asked who her father was- Trigon.

_Trigon. _

She could tear the city apart, but she wouldn't. Victor wished people wouldn't be afraid of his friend, but criminals couldn't have that same luxury. If they thought Raven could do all those things… she wouldn't have to do any of them.

"You know, it's not just the bad guys in this town that are crazy," Jinx had said 2.3411 seconds ago. Victor was only a little behind.

"Tell me about it. Earlier today, Changeling was quiet for two minutes straight." Logan didn't have much of a secret identity, but it was just polite- he thought. What was the protocol for talking to someone with her kind of lifestyle?

"You've got to be kidding me! I don't think Changeling could find quiet in a library."

She leaned back and crossed her legs. That was the kind of thing you did when the hero started looking at you like that. "Is this the part of the program where you're sorry I'm a bad girl?"

"This is where I'm sorry we're out acting like we're John and Jane Q. Citizen," he said. "You can understand just how hard it is to shut Changeling up. I have a few guesses about living with some strange people."

"Are you proposing that we do something like this again?"

"Without any pretense," Victor said. "I'm going to catch heck from my team." Not from Starfire, at least- she was a softie for romance, and she could kick Tim's ass. Victor wouldn't hear more than teasing.

"Gizmo and Mammoth made a few cute comments. I made a few cute suggestions, and they shut their mouths." Her smile was cute, too- if you liked diabolical.

"We'll try this again sometime, then," Victor said, testing the waters.

"Maybe," Jinx said, but her smile said yes.

With all the first date (however unintentional she claimed it had been) awkwardness settled, they ordered dinner.

Victor had a computer for a brain. Jinx managed to be faster. She paid the bill for dinner.

He retaliated by taking her out for ice cream.

* * *

"Was that-"

"Mmhm."

"And?"

"Yes," Starfire said.

"Do you always-"

"Know what you are going to say? You can be slightly predictable, Robin," Starfire said with a smile. He started to protest. She tossed her hair, knowing very well just how the motion carried. He was distracted, just as predicted.

Starfire had said she would need days to find the 'right' dress, but Raven had refused to listen to that argument. Instead, she had taken Starfire straight to a store that sold only dresses. The laconic sales staff had become very, very attentive after Raven asked them to check the balance on Robin's debit card.

Robin had arranged a bank account through his code name. No one needed to know his money came from Bruce Wayne. Counting the zeros was enough encouragement for the suddenly energetic workers.

"I don't think you always know, Starfire." The distraction of Victor and a dark-haired woman with Jinx's smirk had derailed his carefully laid-out plans.

Starfire set down her fork, finished with dessert. "You do not?"

"What am I thinking about now, if I'm so predictable?"

"Kissing me."

He had two choices. He could pretend she was wrong or he could live with how cute Starfire looked when she was smug.

He kissed her.

Yeah, he could live with the smugness.

* * *

Raven was trying to get a break when she went outside. Tim and Starfire were adorable, but Starfire had the emotional restraint of an infant, with a diva's range of emotions. Tim's smacked-hard-between-the-eyes bliss was slightly quieter, but he had Victor to back him up on that.

The t-shirt and jeans Victor had been wearing over his hologram were a loss. Tim, resident expert on improbable laundry, hadn't even offered to save them. Near one short sleeve, the infamous Black Cat chocolate ice cream from the stand on the corner of Main and Bogue had made a territory. That would have been enough to doom a shirt. After paintball, there was no use.

Raven had expected something interesting. Victor had gone to find Jinx after a suspicious e-mail, according to what he had said. He had caved after just a few pointed questions and admitted that she was a fun girl, and he trusted her enough to know that she wasn't going to ambush him.

Dinner, ice cream, and paintball- those clothes wouldn't work as rags for the T-car.

Victor had only smiled, and mentioned that they might not bother with hair dye and holograms next time.

"Next time?"

After establishing that Victor was happy, and Tim and Starfire's dinner had gone well, Raven was ready for a little time to check on her emotions. When she had been at the mall with Starfire, Timid had remained in hiding. It was best to coax Timid while Raven still didn't have much energy for telekinesis or anything else. She had healed Tim's broken arm. Healing took more energy than most fights.

She could turn around and go back inside, but that would just make the next meeting awkward. She didn't want to avoid him. Even if she did, they lived in the same building.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. He must have left the room with Victor. Raven had been talking to Starfire about the dinner with Tim, and about going to the mall again the next day when they had more time to shop. Shopping actually wasn't that bad, not that anyone but Starfire needed to know.

"Remembering how to skip rocks." _Clunk. _"Trying to, at least."

It was dark enough that Logan wouldn't be able to see she was blushing. Wouldn't be able to see well, she amended. He did have better night vision than she did. She sat on the other part of the flat rock, leaving a foot of space. "I've never done that," she said.

"Really?"

"Never ridden a bicycle, never eaten cotton candy. All kinds of things," she said.

"Skipping rocks is easy enough for right now," Logan said. "All you need is water and a rock. It's best to skip rocks when there aren't waves, and rocks that are mostly flat give you the best shot."

She had a rock. It passed muster. "What do I do with this?"

"You throw it like a Frisbee."

"Add that to the never list," Raven said.

"Bend your wrist in, then your elbow. Move your arm out fast, and snap your wrist when you do it," he said. "That'll get the rock to spin, which somehow helps it skip. I could go look up why it works, but that'd take all the fun out of it."

She looked at the rock. She looked at the water. She was better at fighting physically, now, but she always had used her mind first.

Raven spun the rock fast on its center, six inches above her palm, then shot it forward with a flick of her finger and watched it hop across the water.

"Somehow, I don't think I learn to do it your way," Beast Boy said. His rock skipped twice. "That's you… who knows how many, me two."

"It's a competition?"

"It's a game," Logan corrected, "and one thing off the list of things you get to learn to do. There's a fair in town, and I think the Ferris wheel and cotton candy are requirements."

"It's a long list," Raven said. One week ago, the look in his eyes would have made her run away to go meditate- but Timid was nowhere to be found.

"What else haven't you done?"

Had she moved closer? Had he?

"Lots of things," she said. Bravery and Affection didn't seem to be looking for Timid, and Curiosity was only egging them on.

"Ever been kissed?"

* * *

Eight emotions crowded in Wisdom's realm. Raven seemed to think the mirrors just told the truth, and that was it- but Raven didn't know everything.

Wisdom's mirrors did not lie, could not be deceived by magic, and had provided the material for the mirror that Raven held when she wasn't visiting them. Wisdom knew how it worked, Curiosity wanted to know, and everyone else left the mirror-from-inside-the-mirror idea alone.

The mirrors also showed just what was happening outside Raven's mind, and they hadn't had such an interesting view since… who knew. Rage had slammed them off to the side the day before, but she was already forgiven. She was Raven, too, and had Trigon to deal with.

Bravery, Affection, and Happiness were too giddy to form sentences. According to Lazy, coherent sentences were always too much to hope for, but she hadn't protested flying all the way to Wisdom's part of the mind to see what all the fuss was about. Timid snuck glances at the mirror, then blushed as red as Rage's cloak. Rage glowered, of course, but she had sat against the wall to have a very good view.

Curiosity just sighed happily when Raven and Logan made their way back to the tower. Empathy was very, very fun sometimes. The emotions from their teammates would be enough for all sorts of new theories and notes. When Raven was asleep and not having any sort of interesting dreams, Curiosity had to find something to do.

New developments would make life in the Tower very interesting, with the changing emotions alone. Curiosity polished her glasses against her cloak. She _liked _interesting.

**THE END **


End file.
